Apparatus for the production of integral blade turbine wheels and the like units



July 14, 1953 R. J. STUART ETAL 2,645,161

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF INTEGRAL BLADE TURBINE WHEELS AND THE LIKE UNITS 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 16, 1948 July 14, 1953 R. J. STUART ETAL 2,645,151

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF INTEGRAL BLADE TURBINE WHEELS AND THE LIKE UNITS Flled Feb 16, 1948 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. J. STUART ETAL 2,645,161 TUS FOR THE ION OF INTEGRAL TURBINE wmz THE LIKE UNITS 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 PRODUCT ELS AND E m WL B 9 m l 9 6 1 l b M m m m m M8 M M v @Q m8 x8 m v x fi i x m. m m8 S RWWW an R Q @l w....l.... r a, nAnA/ H mug? www E \O. m m l I m; mud 8m m m L lwh l lfiuuwu m NNH m8 4 $9 g 3 \M Q 3 WWW R- J. STUART APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCT BLADE TURBINE WHEELS AND T AL 2,645,161 ION 0F INTEGRAL HE LIKE UNITS July 14, 1953 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 QQ hq gwmw 8 1% w J 88 WQ Mg N 0 mm a M m6 Filed Feb. 16, 1948 N015 WN July 14, 1953 R. J. STUART ETAL 2,645,161

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF INTEGRAL BLADE TURBINE WHEELS AND THE LIKE UNITS 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 16, 1948 lllll!l|lllllll' gave/M0053 E A km Q. OJVL 0 (k CELL. p 32% 1 July 14, 1953 R. J. STUART ETAL 5 5 APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF INTEGRAL BLADE TURBINE WHEELS AND THE LIKE UNITS '7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed Feb. 16, 1948 SOLENOID FEED CAM mo-run.

69x 6722mm MASTER NOTE 9.

INVENTORS Patented July 14, 1953 APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION. OF INTEGRAL BLADE TURBINE WHEELS AND THE LI E UNITS Robert J. Stuart and Allen D.'Gunderson, Racine, Wis., assignors to George Gorton Machine 00., Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 16, 1948, Serial No. 8,496

This invention relates to apparatus forproducing integral blade turbine wheels and such like units; and the nature'fland objects ofthe invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following detailed description and explanation of the accompanying drawings illustrating what we now believe to be thepreferred embodiments or mechanical expressions of the principles and the several features of our invention from among various other embodiments,*mechanical expressions, forms, arrangements, designs, and cornbinations, of which the invention iscapable and adapted within the spirit and scope thereof.

Our invention is basically concerned with the production of elements or -units of those types in which the unit includes a body having a series of identically shaped or "contoured members formed integral therewith by cutting or remcving material from the body to form such integral members thereon; and the-invention 'isparticularly directed to overcoming the problems, difficulties and disadvantages encountered in producing such an integral member unit in the form ofa, turbine orimpeller wheel having a seriesof integral blades formed thereon by milling from the body ofthe wheel: each of the series of the integral blades otthe completed-wheel rwitha unit such as a turbine wheel having a. series of integral bladeswthereon, the blades must ,becformed as exact and precise, duplicates in dimensions and contour and each must. be accurately positioned on the turbine wheel with the allowable tolerances for error in contour, location andv spacing of the blades restricted to within very close limits, The prevailing techniques and the available equipmentforthe production of such an element or unit asa turbine or impeller wheel having integral blades formed thereon by cutting or milling out, the blades from a preformed wheel blank, are of a, character primarily under the control of an operator and thus subject to and dependentfupon'the speed and the judgment and'skill of eachindividu'al operator. The production of integral blade tur bine wheel units by such operator'dictated' and controlled techniques andequipment, is an exact-f.

ing', tedious and timeconsuming operation with resulting high cost's'of production." w th such milling operations under the control'prima-rily of the operator, the-results are dependent upon the operators speed; skill and judgment, so thatyin addition to the extended time requiredto'precis'e 1y cut'or mill out the-integral blades from the required in 22 Claims. (01. 90- 131 wheel blank to complete the wheel unit, there is 7 also present a high error potential in the op-' erations. And, an error in cutting or milling out even one blade of the seriescof blades of such an integral blade turbine or impeller'wheel unit, will because of error occurs in milling the last blade or blades of the series discarding the substantially completed wheel, notwithstanding thelarge amount of workand the extended time with the attendmention to provide a method and-apparatusfor' producing from a body or a preformedblank,"a

unit havingintegral members cut or milled' therefrom, such as a turbine 0r impeller wheel unit having a seriesof integral blades thereon, by fully automaticoperations, so that a wheel body or blank may beplaced in working position in the apparatus and then by the application of the methods of the invention to the positioned blank, the apparatus can be caused-to operate to fully automatically mill out, blade by blade, from'the body or blank witha high degree of precision andat a relatively rapid rate of production, the complete series of -integralblades in 'a single cycle of fullyautomatic operation without requiring operator intervention or control at any, time duringfthecycle of automatic operations.

.In carrying out the foregoing general objects, an apparatus exemplifying the invention in a form for'millingout the integral blades ofa turbine or impeller wheel may be primarily char acterized by an organization which includes a power operated tracer andmovement transmitting mechanism under the'control of a pattern or master of the contour. orprofile of the turbine wheel blade, for. transmitting the master controlled movements of such mechanism to a milling cutter spindle to move the spindle with its, millingcutter through a cutting path in thevbody or blank from which the blades -are to be. milled toprecisely mill or'cut out the exact shape oreach of the integral blades forthe turbine vwheel; a cutter spindlefeed 'mechanism A for progressively feeding fand/or arresting the feed-of the cutter-spindle toward the blankjbeing milled at predetermined rates and periods rela'- tive to the rate of speed at and the cycles through whichthe pattern controlled 'movement transthe high degree of precision I the completed unit, usually -neces-. sitate discarding the incompleted wheel or if the mitting mechanism moves the cutter spindle around the path of the complete profile or contour of the blade, as determined by the number of complete passes the milling cutter must make around the contour for the required depth of the blade; and a body or blank holding and positioning organization for automatically moving the blank from position to position accurately located for the milling out of each blade respectively, of the series of blades upon completion of each preceeding blade of the series until the entire series of blades has been milled out and the automatic cycle completed.

A further object is to provide an apparatus having the foregoing basic characteristics which will be efficient and reliable in operation with a.

minimum of maintenance or adjustment required under service conditions, and which will be of simple mechanical and structural design to occupy a minimum of-space and to locate the component organizations thereof and the operator controls therefor in readily visible and accessible locations to the operator.

Another object is to provide an efficient and accurate power driven tracer and movement transmitting organization in the association with and controlled by an exact pattern or master of the contour of the integral members of a. series of such members which are to be milled out from a blank; and further to provide in such a power driven tracer and movement transmitting mechanism for the ready removal and accurate mounting of patterns or masters for operative guiding association with the tracer of the movement transmitting mechanism.

Another object is to provide a power operated tracer and movement transmitting organization in which the transmission of the movement of the master guided tracer with the cutting or milling tool is through the medium of a. pantograph mechanism of the adjustable type so-that enlarged patterns or masters of the contour and profile of a member to be milled outmay be employed and by which the pantograph mechanism will efficiently function to reduce the master controlled movements of the tracer to exact member profile or contour defining movements of the milling cutter in the work piece. or blank.

A further object is to provide a design. and ,arrangement for an apparatus of. the invention andof the component organizations of which it is formed, of such a char ct r thatastandard ype. fpa i r ph en ravingmachine may. be utilized to provide the basic. structure and. certain of the component organizations of .the. apparatus of the invention, without requiring ex.- tensive major redesigning and reorganizationof the. basic. structure, comp,onents, and the arrangements thereof of the engraving machine.

Another object is to provide simple and efiicient means for automatically progressively feeding and/or. arresting the. feed of the milling cutter relative to thebody or blankat a rate andthrough a cycle as may be. required to produce. the particular integral membersof theunitbeing milled; and further to. provide in such feeding mechanism for readily varying: the ratev of. progressive feed and/or the rate of speed at which the mechanism moves through a-complete feeding cycle, and/or the point or points in such cycle at which progressive feed is arrested as well as the period or periods of time during which such arrestation is maintained. I

A further object isto provide a design and arrangement of the spindle feedmechanism by which such mechanism may be mounted on and carried by the movable supporting structure for the cutter spindle head and in operative feeding association with the cutter spindle; and further to provide an efficient mounting and arrangement of power drive for said spindle feed mechanism, so mounted, and associated with the cutter spindle and its movable supporting structure.

A further object is to provide such a spindle feedmechanism with a power driven cam element for feeding engagement with the cutter spindle, which cam element may be readily removed and replaced by another cam element of different spindle feed characteristics as may be required by the particular milling operation to be performed.

And a further object is to provide such a spindle feed mechanism of the power driven type capable of adjustment to selectively vary the rates of spindle feed and to permit of such. adjustment independently of the adjustment in the rates of speed of the power driven feed and movement transmitting mechanism in order that the rates of speed of the spindle feed and the movement transmitting mechanism can be readily synchronized to meet the requirements of each particular unit to be milled.

Another object is to provide a work indexing mechanism for positioning and holding the body or blank from which the integral members are to be milled, which mechanism will automatically upon the completion of the milling of each integral member thereon,. accurately reposition the blank for the milling of the next member from the blank of the series of, integral members from the blank.

A further object is to provide for the automatic control of the indexing mechanism from the cutter spindle feed controlling mechanism in such a manner that the automatic repositioning of the cutterspindle to inactive cutting position by the feed mechanism upon the completion of an integral member will cause functioning automatically of the indexing mechanism to reposition the blank during the time period provided between the removal of the cutter spindle from cutting position and the return movement automatically of that spindle by the feed mechanism to milling position for: forming the next integral member; and further to provide for the control by the indexing mechanism of both the power driven tracer and movement transmitting mechanism and: the power driven cutter spindle feeding mechanism to stop operations of such mechanisms upon completion of the milling out of the last member of the series of integral members and theresultant termination of the unit completing, automatic cycle of the apparatus.

It is a further general object to associate and combine in the single apparatus in a structurally and mechanically simple and functionally efficient manner, the power driven tracer and movement transmitting mechanism, the cutter spindle feed mechanism, and the work indexing mechanism, and to so coordinate and synchronize the functioning interdependently of such mechanism as to provide for the fully automatic cycle during which the integral member unit may be produced by the milling out, member by member, of the complete series of integral members from ablank.

With the foregoing and various other objects,

features and results in view, which will be readily apparent from the following detailed description and explanation, our invention as tothe ap paratus consists in the novel design and construction of parts and elements and in the combinations thereof, and as to the method resides in the novel sequences of steps, all as will be more fully referred to and pointed out hereinafter. 3

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar reference characters refer to corresponding elements throughout theseveral figures thereof:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an apparatus of our invention for automatically producing integral blade turbine wheels, shown in mounted position on holders with several ofthe integral blades of the a wheel blank being the indexing work wheel completed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation taken fromthe which our invention is directed are encountered in accentuated form. The invention is neither retsricted-to-the particular form of apparatus-of *this exaniple nor "totlie milling out of integral blade turbine or'impeller units for which the disciosed apparatus is particularly designed. Various front of the apparatus of Figs. '1 and 2, the lower portion of the supporting column and base not being shown.

Fig. l is a vertical section taken as on the line 4 of Fig. 2, through the power operated tracer "mechanism and pattern or master plate and the mounting base stru'cture'therefor.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken as on the line '55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view in vertical section taken as on the line 5-3 of Fig. 2, through the movable block and end roller unit for the chain of the power driven tracer mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a view in top plan of the automatic work indexing mechanism with the cover or top plate therefor removed, and showing the work supporting spindle in horizontal section.

Fig. 8 is a detail vertical sectional view taken as on the line 8-8 of Fig.7.

Fig. 9 is another detail vertical sectional view taken as on the line 9- 9 of Fig. 7. v

Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation of the cutter 'head, cutter spindle and spindle feed mechanism and of the work indexing mechanism therebelow with the'turbine wheel blank in mounted position thereon in operative cutting engagement by the milling tool of the cutter spindle, the side or the indexing mechanism having beenremoved.

Fig. 11 is a view in side elevation showing the i cutter spindle and the spindle feed cam in their relative positions mounted on the cutter head and the cutter head supporting link, respectively, with the cutter spindle engaged with the feed cam'and the milling cutter on the spindle engaged with a turbine wheel blank, a portion only of theblanlz being shown.

Fig. 12 is a view in top plan showlng'the mounting of the spindle feed cam and it driving worm and shaft on the cutter head supporting link.

Fig. 13 is a perspective viewof a preformed turbine wheel blank.

Fig. i l is a perspective view of the completed turbine wheel unit with the integral blades milled out thereon from the blank of Fig. 13 by the methods and apparatus of the invention.

Fig. 15 is a detailed view in top plancifthe ratchet and pawl and immediately assooiatedel-v ments of the indexing mechanism, showing partioularly the indexing plate or disc with the circuit control switch arm andindexing detentor stop arm respectively associated with the indexing disc.

Fig. 16 is a detailed view .in side-elevation of the ratchet and pawl of the indexingmeohanism forms/of apparatus embodying the basic combinations and associations of organizations and components making up. the invention, are adapted to and-may be utilized for producing a variety of 'forms'having integral member units, whether or not such integral members are of regular or irregular profile or contour, are arranged in a series of annular or circular form oralong a straight line or irregular line path, or are generally peripherally or otherwise located on the unit.

Apparatus of the invention are intended for and adapted to theautomatic cutting or milling out of any form'of integral members from a body or blank whereversuch operations present general problems and difficulties as exemplified by those encountered in the production of the particular turbine wheel form of integral member unit of the present example, or wherever the useof such apparatus may be found to bedesirable or expedient.

An integral blade turbine wheel unit W of a type which the apparatus of the present inven- 'tion is particula'rlyintended to produce by auto- "matically milling out in a single cycle the com- 1 plete'jseries of'integral blades thereof, is disclosed j in Fig.- 14. This turbine wheel uni-t W, in this instancahasth'e annular series of spaced, integralblades Vthereof'formed aroundthe peripheral portion offone side of the wheel, concentric withthe wheel aids, with the outer edges of each blade disposed substantially in the plane of the peripheral edge surface of the wheel. f The "wheel v isforme d with a hub l-I having an axial bore 'therethrough with this huh-extended outwardly I from therside of thewheel opposite that'sid'eon which'the integral blades V are formed (seeFig. 10). The wheelunit W, referring now to Fig. I3, is formed from a preformed blankB which includes 'thehub H and an annular "rib or flange V extending from one side of the circular disc formfingthe body B'around theperiphery of the disc with the outer p'eripheral surfaces of this flange lying in theiplane passing through the peripheral edge of the blank. .The flange V may as in the "form illustrated have its outer surface bevelled or "inclined radially outwardly to the peripheral edge of the blank.

"The problemis to mill out from the flange'V of the blank B, the series of blades V integral with the blank to'form the completed wheel unit W. Injthis instance, the blades V of the impeller "wheelunit are each identical in contour or profile-and thus in cross sectional shape, and are 'ofa generalairfoil shape in cross section with a relatively thick intermediate section terminating at the outer side in a relatively short leading edge and at the inner side thereof in a slightly thinner trailing edge portion as will be clear by reference to Fig. 14. Thus, these integral blades V of the turbine unit W of this example, conform generally in shape to the conventional impulse" blades or buckets for turbine wheels. Such blades must be equally spaced apart on and around the wheel so as to form precisely identically dimensioned fluid flow and impulse passages therebetween and each of the blades must be spaced exactly the same distance from the axis of the wheel and each must itself be identical in contour, dimensions and location with each of the other blades of the series.

In accordance with the method of our invention, the turbine wheel blank B is held in accurate position relative to a rotary milling cutter C (see Figs. 3, 10 and 11) and this milling cutter is then moved into starting cutting engagement at the upper surface of the flange V of the blank. From this position, the milling cutter is then caused to accurately mov in cutting engagement with flange V through an accurately determined path to cause the milling cutter to follow and precisely cut out and define the profile or contour of the first blade V of the series of blades to be milled out from the blank. The milling cutter is caused to cut out to a predetermined depth on each pass or complete movement around the contour or profile of the blank and the number of passes or complete cycles the milling cutter must make around the path of the blade contour will be dependent upon the depth of the cut on each pass and the final required depth or heighth of the blade. During the milling out of a blade V by a series of such cutting passes around the contour defining path through the flange V of the blank, the milling cutter is progressively fed downwardly into the flange, although such progression may if desired be interrupted and a pass or several passes may be made without downward feed. For instance, in the production of the particular turbine wheel of this example, upon attaining the maximum depth for the blade, such progressive feed is arrested and a pass or passes of the milling cutter are made without feeding inwardly in order to efficiently clean out the bottom of the cut and accurately define the inner or bottom surfaces defining the space between adjacent blades. Similarly the method of individually milling out each blade of the series of blades, includes if desired for any particular blank being milled, the carrying out of one or more cutting passes through the blank at the start of the milling feed of each blade without inward feed of the milling cutter.

Upon completion of the milling out from the blank B, the first blade V of the series of integral blades of the wheel unit W, the blank B is then accurately repositioned to locate the blank relative to the milling cutter C for the milling out of the next adjacent blade of the series, which adjacent blade is then milled out in the identical manner hereinbefore described with respect to the milling out of the first blade of the series. These operations are then repeated blade by blade until the complete series of blades V have been milled out from the blank.

With the-particular cross sectional shap and profile or contour of the blades V of the turbine wheel W of this example, it will be noted that the contours of the adjacent and facing sides of adjacent blades are difierent so that a millin cutter is employed of a character such that upon the milling out of each blade, only a portion of the material of the blank between adjacent blades is removed, the remainder of this material being removed by the milling cutter as it follows the contour path of and mills out each adjacent blade. However, our method is not essentially restricted to such steps where the form and profile of the blades may be such as to permit of removing on a single cutting pass the full width of material between the adjacent sides of adjacent blades.

The basic steps of the method of the invention are applied and carried out by the form of the apparatus of our invention illustrated herein as an example, for fully automatically milling out in a single operating cycle from the blank B, the completed integral blade turbine wheel W of the particular form as above described. Such apparatus in this instance happens to be based upon the general pantograph type of machine as exemplified by the standard types of pantograph engraving machines generally illustrated in the following United States Patents, namely, 1,790,581- January 27, 1931; l,88l,500-October 1 1932; 1,925,036-August 29, 1933; and 2,000,838-May 7, 1935, in that, the example apparatus of our invention utilizes the general arrangement and association of the base and vertical column structure, the tracer controlled pantograph and the association thereof with the rotary cutter spindle mounted in the pivoted link supported cutter head universally laterally movable by the pantograph, the motor and belt type transmission therefrom to the universally laterally movable cutter spindle, and the work table and its supporting structure, of such standard types of pantograph engraving machines.

General organization of the automatic apparatus Thus, the apparatus of the example, referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings in particular, embodies the base supported vertical column structure I0 with the knee II for the work table l2 mounted on one side of such column structure [0 for adjustments in the position of the table l2 vertically and horizontally thereon.

A cutter head I4 is supported in position over and above work table I2 on the outer end of a supporting link structur generally indicated as l5 (see U. S. Patent 2,000,838, referred to above) for universal lateral movements of the cutter head in a horizontal plane. The supporting link structure I5 is pivotally mounted on and supported from a rigid, horizontally disposed arm structure Illa on the upper end of the column l0. A rotary cutter spindle unit 16 is mounted in cutter head M and includes the rotary cutter spindle l6a. Cutter spindle unit It is mounted in vertically disposed position in cutter head M for vertical sliding movements therein to lower and raise the unit with the cutter spindle I (la toward and from the work table l2. This spindle unit It is preferably spring loaded and is continuously biased in a direction to move the cutter spindle Ilia from cutting relation with a 'work piece on the table l2, in accordance with the established practice for mounting the cutter spindle in the standard type of machine as generally exemplified in the U. S. Patents referred to above, and in such patents as Nos. 1,750,594March 11, 1930 and 2,l28,6l1 August 30, 1938.

A pantograph mechanism P is mounted in horizontally disposed position above the cutter head l4 and the spindle unit l6 mounted therein,

9 pantograph P being pivotally hung or suspended in such position from a rigid supporting arm lllb mounted on rigid supportingarm structure I a of the column structure H31 Pantograph P comprises the sets of parallel bars or links 2'and 4', and 3 and 6; respectively, and is pivotally'mounted' and suspended from arm Hlo by a pivotal connection I00 between the arm I01) and a slider block 4a which is mounted on and slidably adjust'ably receives the pantograph link 4. The movement reducing bar or link 6' of pantograp'h' P is pivotally coupled and connected with the upper side of the cutter head supporting link structure 15- by a slider block 6a pivotally mounted on structure l5 axially aligned above cutter spindle Mia; and which slidably adjustably receives there in. and mounts the link Borthepantograph P.

The bar or link 3' of pantograph-P is extended to provide the tracer arm T in axially aligned longitudinal continuation thereof, and this arm T mounts at its outer free end a tracer styleunit S for'scanning engagement" with a. pattern or master. Thus, movements of the style S in following a. master, are'transmitted to the pantograph .P by tracer arm T, and. such movements arein' turn transmitted by the pantograph through link 6 thereof. andthe slide block 600, to thecutter'h'ead supporting structure I5 and to the-cutter spindle unit IS in cutter head [4 as movements of the spindle IBa of: such unit in accurately reduced scale to the movements of style S.

The; cuttert spindle lBa of. the spindle unit. l5, mounts a. spindle driving: pulley |6b thereon at the lower end thereof and a suitable-belt drive is provided with includes. abelt. l1 engaged over and in. driving relationwith the spindle pulley I672. The belt drive or transmission for spindle lfia may, as shown in the example hereof, be of the general types suchas disclosed inthe U. S; Patents Nos. l,'790,581--January 2'7, l93l,wand 1,925,036- August 29; 1933; in which a motor l8 (see Fig. 1)

is swingably mounted. at the lowerend portion I of column structure Ill and drives the belt. l1

irom, a pulley Ila through the medium of an ar-V rangement of pulleys Nb and belt 11c, pulleys HD and Ha being, mounted on a horizontally swingable arm. [1d,whi1e the cutter head- M is.

connected to the outerfreeend-ofarm. "(L by a push-pull rod He. (see Fig. 2) Thus,- cutter spindle Ilia of the unit. lfi-isin constant driving relastionv with the 'belt. drive transmission frommotor 18 in all positions throughwhich the cutter head 14 and spindle unit l6.- are. universally laterally moved by the pantograph P.

'The apparatus of my invention designed in accordancewith the selectedexample for milling out from a blank the integral; blades from a unit such asv a turbinewheel, prov-ides and; includes in functional association and. combination with the above pantograph mechanism and pantograph actuated and controlledcutter spindle, a power operated. pattern or master organization. generally identified by. the reference character M, inFigs; .1,-

2'. and 3 in driving relation with the tracer style S for causing such style to follow under. power an enlarged profile or master of'eachofthe blades. V of a turbine wheel; a power driven cutter spindle feed organization generally identified by the reference character E, which progressivelyv feeds the cutter spindle toward the turbine wheelblank as the'spindle is moved through a blade milling; cycle to cause themilling cutter'C' carried thereby to define "the profile or contour of each :blade V beingmilled out of the blank; and a work supporting indexing organization generally identified by the reference character" I; forsupporting the wheel blank B in operativerelation with a milling cutter C'oncutter spindle [6a for moving the blank automatically upon the completion of the milling out of each blade V, to a position relative to the milling cutter for the milling out'of the next adjacent blade V of the series ofblades of the wheel W. j "The association and functional inter-relation ship between the power operated master organization M, the power operated spindle feed organization F and the work positioning and indexing organization I, combined with the universally laterallly movable cutter spindle unit I 6' and the pantograph P, is such that the feed organization F'has a single spindle feeding cycle which is fully automatically performed for and during the milling out of each integral member or bladeVof'theturbine wheel and which controls automaticallythe functioning of the index organization I to cause the latterto function to reposition the wheel blank during theperiod between the completion of the cycle of milling out a blade and the resumption automatically by the apparatus of the cycle of milling out the next adjacent blade The indexing organization I has a singlecycle through which it "functions to position the wheel blank for each blade of the series of blades until the last blade of the series has been milled out, whereupon, such indexing organization functions automatically to stop' the. operations of the power operated spindle feed organization F and the power operated mas- 'ter organization M, so that the completed turbine wheel can be removed from the apparatus with the indexing organization I in 'conditionto receive the nextblank to be milled. i

Power operated master and movement transmitting organization I The power operated master organization. M, referring now to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, in connection with Figs. 1; 2 and 3, is mounted and positioned, preferably adjustably, on. the upper side of .the supporting columnstructure l0. and the arm Ifla of such structure, at that side of the apparatus generally opposite the side at which the work table I2 is located. Such'organization may, as in this example, include a horizontally disposedbase structure 20 of generally rectangular outline having provided around its. outersides the continuous upstanding flange ma. 1 Base 20 is suitably rigidly fastened and secured to column. structure l0-|0aflby means; of a supporting bracket 20b mounted and attached on such structure. Threaded bolts 200 may be utilized for rigidly attaching basev 211. to. the bracket structure 201), and if desired, the bracket structure may be mounted for adjustment relative to the-column structure in order to permit of adjusting the position of'the base 20. I

A motor MM is provided for supplying the power for operating the power driven master unit M and. movement transmitting mechanism or pantograph P. The motor MM is located at theunder side of base 20-, being mounted on and supported from a suitable bracket structure 20d at the undersideof the base. This. motor MM is mounted in. generally horizontally disposed position at the. underside of base 20 adjacent the outeri or rear side thereof. Motor MM mounts at its inner side or end a speed. reduction unit 21 with which it is in operative driving connection; Speed reduction unit 2| is provided with an upwardly extended power output or. take-off; shaft 21a, in axial alignment with and being extended upwardly through a bore 21bformed.through'the bottom wall of the base 20f At the rear side thereof, base 20 is provided with a depending support plate 20d which mounts at the inner side thereof, a rheostat or current controlling element 22 for controlling the power circuit to the motor MM so that the speed of the motor and its power take-off shaft 2|a may be selectively adjusted and set for the desired rate of speed of operation of the unit M. Rheostat 22 is provided with an operating knob 220. located at the outer side of the bracket plate 20d in position readily visible and accessible to the operator.

The power driven master unit M may be formed, referring now to Figs. 4 to 6, f the similarly shaped lower plate 23 and upper plate 24 secured together in parallel relation spaced apart by suitable fastening members such as the screws 25 having the spacers 25a thereon located between and positioning the plates relative to each other. The plates 23 and 24 are of generally rectangular shape or profile to accord with the shape of base 20 and are dimensioned to removably fit down into the space within the flange 20a with the lower plate 23 seated upon and removably secured to base 20. For instance, lower plate23, referring to Fig. 5, may be secured to base 20 by cap screws or the like 23a having the headed upper ends thereof accessible through bores or openings 24a through the top plate 24.

The top plate 24 provides the pattern or master in the form of a pattern track forming slot G therein, which i an exact and precise enlarged scale replica of the contour or profile of the integral member, in this instance, the integral turbine blade V of wheel unit W which is to be milled out from the blank by the apparatus. This pattern track or slot G is formed by cutting out such track in the top plate as an endless slot positioned on and relative to the plate and to the working position of the blank B on the indexing mechanism I, so that, when the style S of the tracer arm T of the pantograph P is caused to move through and around such track, the milling cutter C will move through a path which is a scaled reduction of the pattern track and defines the exact profile or contour of each turbine blade to be milled out of the blank. As the pantograph P will transmit the movements of style is to milling cutter C, as reduced scale movements reversed in direction, the pattern track G is formed on pattern plate 24 with its position reversed to the position of each turbine blade to be reproduced therefrom on the wheel blank B. Thus, in this example, pattern track G is located so that the elongated reduced width portion of the track is located at the forward or inner side of unit M, by cutting an opening in the plate which opens through the edge of the plate and the adjacent portion of flange 20a of base 20, and mounting in such opening a block 26 which provides therein the curved end section or portion G of the track. The portion 24b of plate 24 (see Fig. 2) which is surrounded by and confined within track G may be the portion of the plate cut therefrom by cutting out the track slot G, or such portion may be formed by a different piece of material. But in either case, the outer surrounding edge 24c thereof is formed and shaped to provide together with the inner edge 24d of the portion of the plate 24 which surrounds and defines the outer side of the track forming slot, the pattern track G as an enlarged replica of the contour or profile of the turbine wheel blade V.

The tracer style unit S at the outer end of tracer arm T depends from the underside of arm T into the pattern track or slot G. Such unit includes a stem S, referring now to Fig. 1, disposed with its axis perpendicular to the plane of movements of tracer arm T, which stem depends below the arm and is received in the pattern track forming slot G. The portion of style stem S which extends into and is received in track G is of circular cross section and is accurately formed to provide a peripheral surface such that the style stem S will be accurately guided in and along the track with minimum friction while maintaining the axis of style stem S precisely located and positioned in the pattern track to cause tracer arm T to actuate pantograph P through the movements necessary to translate the cutter spindle C through a path which is an accurate reduced scale replica of the path defined by the pattern track.

An endless chain drive is provided for moving the style S and its stem S in and around the endless pattern track G. In this instance, such drive embodies a roller link chain 30 mounted in the space between plates 23 and 24, below and following the shape or path of the pattern track G in such a manner that any point or location on the upper side of the chain may be moved under and along and in alignment with the slot forming the track. Such mounting may, as in the example hereof, be carried out by mounting the chain 30 over and extending between primary rollers 3|, 32 and 33 located at points, respectively, along the inner side of the chain at which themajor bights or turns thereof must be formed in following the pattern track G, and series of rollers 34 positioned along and engaged by the outer side of the endless chain, in such locations, respectively, as to cause the chain, together with the primary rollers 3|, 32 and 33, to follow the desired path beneath and aligned with pattern track G. If desired, additional or supplementary rollers, such as the rollers 35 (see Fig. 2), may be located at strategic points at and engaged by the inner side of the chain. All of the rollers 3|, 32 and 33 and the rollers 34 and 35, are mounted for rotation freely about suitable anti-friction bearings mounted on fixed stud shafts positioned between the upper and lower plates, as will be clear by reference to Figs. 4 and 5.

The inner roller 3| in this example, is mounted on the slide block 26 which closes the forward end of the track forming cut-out portion of pattern plate 24 and which together with roller 3|, provides the curved end section G of the track G. Roller 3| is mounted on an annular anti-friction bearing 3 la, referring now to Fig. 6, the inner race of which is mounted on the upper end of a stud shaft 3|b. This anti-friction bearing mounting typifies the mounting for the other endless chain confining and guiding rollers 32, and 33 and 34 and 35. Slide block 26 is slidably mounted and positioned on the lower plate 23 by .means of the guideways 26a. The slide block 26 may, if desired, be mounted for adjustment of its position relative to the other chain confining and guiding rollers in order that the tension of the chain on and around these sets of rollers may be adjusted. For example, adjusting screws 26b may be threaded through block 26 for engagement at the inner ends thereof with plate 23 for adjusting the position of the block.

The lower or inner end length of the stem S of style S, which extends down into the track slot G, is pivotally connected to a link of the chain 30, so that, as the chain is moved over and around its guiding and confining rollers, the style S is caused to move in and along track G in the direction of movement of the chain 30. The coupling or connection of style stem S may be effected by providing an upstanding pin 30a on the chain 30 which is received in an axial bore 3% in the lower end of style stem S, as will be clear by reference to Fig. 6 of the drawings. In this manner, an effective pivotal coupling may be provided between the chain and the style stem of a character which will permit of the style stem vS being disconnected from the chain by merelylifting the style stem from the pin to remove the pin from the bore 3%. t

The endless chain 30 is driven from themotor MM through the medium of a toothed sprocket wheel 36, mounted on the upper end of the power delivery or take-off shaft 2 la of the motor speed reduction unit 2|. Sprocket 3.5 is fixed on the upper end of shaft 2|a, positioned between plates 23 and 24, so that, the sprocket teeth atthe inner side of the sprocket engage with the links of the adjacent outer edgesection of chain 30 asthe chain is progressively fed by the sprocket :between rollers 3| and 32. An inner side roller 35 is preferably located opposite sprocket ,326 so as to support the chain at the point of power drive engagement of the sprocket therewith.

With the motor MM in operation, the endless chain 30 is thus continuously driven around its confining andguiding rollers tocontinuouslymove beneath and along the pattern track G in alignment therewith so that the style unit S is moved in and around the track and is guided and follows the enlarged scale replica provided by the track, of the-profile or contour of the integral member to be milled out from a blank positioned Movements of the on the indexing mechanism 1. style S through and around the path provided by the endless track G actuate the tracer arm T to operate pantograph P to cause thelatter to move the cutter unit l6 and milling cutter C through an endless path which is an exactreducedscale replica of the pattern track G. The rate of speed at which tracer arm style Sis caused to move around the endless path track G and the number of complete track cycles per unit of time which style S will make, are of course dependent ,upon the rate of speed of the motor MM, andsuch latter speed isvariable under the selective control of the operator by means of the rheostat 22.

The power driven master unit provided by the plates 23 and 24 with the endless chain .30 mounted and positioned therebetween, is removable from mounted position on the .base 20, by releasing the securing screws 23a, disconnecting style stern S from the coupling pin 30a, and disengaging sprocket wheel 36 from the takeoff shaft 2|a of the motor speed reduction unit 2|. The removed unit may then be replaced -by a similar unit. In this manner power driven master units having different pattern or master tracks (5 therein for different contoured members tobe milled, may be interchangeably mounted on base 20. r

Power driven, automatic cutter spindle feed The cutter spindle unit 16 which is vertically slidably mounted in cutter head I 4, is progressive-7 1y fed to move the cutter spindle |6a thereof topleted turbine wheel unit W. This progressive feeding may include periods in which the'feed of cutter spindle |6a into the blank is arrested, but the feed and arrestation of the spindle unit and the cutter spindle i licit-hereof for each integral series until the complete series of blades has been miled out from the. bank.

The cutter spindle unit 16, as referred to hereinbefore, is spring loaded and is continuously biased in a directionto move spindle |5a and a I milling cutter C thereon in a directionaway from v the work, and is only moved toward the work to place the milling cutter 01in operative engagement with the work by theapplication of forces to the unit l6 which will overcome'the spring loading. In this example, the outer or upper endof spindle unit I6 is .provided with an upstanding member such as apin 39 WhiCh'lS axially disposed relative to the unit and the depending cutter spindle 16a at the opposite end thereof, and which provides by its upper end the point at which feedingforces may be efficiently applied to the spindle unit to move it downwardly and inwardly through its mounting in the head l4 in order to move cutter spindle |6a and cutter C into operative engagement with the work piece.

Such automatic feeding of the cutter spindle .in accordance with the principles of our invention, may be carried out by an organization such-as that presented in' the present example, in which a power driven .cam member 40 is rotated with its cam surface 4| thereof continuously engaged by the upper end of the pin .39 of spindle unit l6, so that such pin functions as a cam follower .under the action of the spring loading of spindle unit It. Referring now to Figs. 10, 11 and 12, the cam member 40 is in the form of a circular disc having a peripheral flange 40a therearound at the inner or under side thereof, with'the inner or peripheral edge of flange 40a providing the annular cam surface 4|. Feed cam member 4|! is mounted on the cutter head supporting linkage |5 in such position above cutter spindle unit l6 and the actu ating pin 39 thereof, that cam surface 4| will be continuously engaged by -pin39, as the cam is rotated about an axis parallel with but radially offset from the vertical or longitudinal axis of cutter unit l5.

For instance in the specific apparatus hereof, the "cutter head supporting link structure l5 is provided with an overarm |:5a which extends over and across and is spaced from cutter head l4 and the outer or upper end of cutter unit spindle it and its actuating pin 38 (see Fig. 10). The feed cam 40 is mounted from this overarm |5a between such arm and the cutter spindle unit It on a stud shaft 42. Thisshaft 42 is mounted in fixed positiononzand extends inwardly from'the overarm 'liawith its longitudinal axis parallel with but radiallyofl'set adistance inwardly from the lon" gitudinal axis of the cutter spindle, unit li'l and actuating pin 39. The feed cam 40 is revolvably mounted and confined on the inwardly extended length of studshaft 42 by a suitable annular antifriction bearing assembly 42a, such bearing assembly and the cam ably mounted and confinedin position by ,a nut 40 being preferably remov member 42b threaded on the inner end of shaft 42. The location and relative positioning of shaft 42 and feed cam 40 thereon, is such thatthe portion of the cam surface 4| above the pin 39 is aligned with that pin and engaged thereby. As the cam surface 4| is annular and concentric with the axis of cam 40 and its mounting shaft 42,'it follows that-as cam 40 is revolved, the annu lar camsurface 4| will continuouslypass through the plane of the axis of pin 39 for constant engagement of the cam surface by the pin.

The feed cam 40 is power driven from a motor FM which in this instance, is mounted and supported from column structure If! spaced a distance below the motor operated master unit M, as will be clear by reference to Figs. 1, and 3 of the drawings. Motor FM is controlable selectively as to the rate of speed of operation thereof through a rheostat 43 mounted on the column structure I above motor FM, such rheostat having an operating knob 43a in position readily accessible to the operator. A speed reduction unit 44 is driven from motor FM and provides a power output or take-off shaft 44a extending upwardly therefrom. Flexible shafting 45 is connected with the take-off shaft 44a and extends upwardly therefrom to the overarm |a of the cutter head supporting linkage l5 for operative driving connection with the feed cam 40.

The feed cam 46, referring particularly to Fig. 11, is provided with a spiral gear or worm wheel 46 fixed thereon and therearound concentric with the cam axis at the side of the cam opposite cam surface 4|, and a worm 4'! is rotatably journalled in a casing 41a which is 58- cured by means of a bracket structure 4122 on the overarm |5a to position worm 4"! tangentially relative to and in mesh with worm wheel 46 on feed cam 49. The worm 41 is coupled with and driven by the flexible shafting 45 from the motor FM to drive worm wheel 46 and thus revolve feed cam 43. The feed cam and its drive transmission which includes the worm wheel 46 and worm 47, are mounted and supported on the universally laterally swingable cutter head supporting linkage l5 and are movable and maintained constantly in operative engagement throughout the movements of linkage l5, the flexible shafting from motor FM to worm 41 freely permitting of such movements with a minimum of interference therewith.

The position of feed cam 40 relative to spindle unit I6 is such that the maximum outward or upward movement of cutter unit l6 which is permitted by any point on the annular cam surface 4|, is less than the maximum outward movement possible to that unit, so that, the spring loading of the unit will act to effectively maintain the actuating pin 39 constantly biased into engagement with the cam surface.

The annular cam surface 4| is generated to lie in a generally helical or spiral path about the axis of the cam and its mounting shaft 42, from a point or sector on cam surface 4| which when in engagement with pin 39, permits cutter unit I 6 to move upwardly or outwardly under its spring loading to remove the cutter C or cutter spindle Hi from cutting engagement with a blank B mounted on the indexing mechanism I, to a point or sector thereon at which the cutter spindle I5 is forced inwardly to position cutter C for its maximum depth of out in a blank B. Referring-to Fig. 11, the low point or sector on cam surface 4| at which cutter unit H; is in position with the cutter C removed from operative engagement with the work is indicated at a, while the high point or sector on cam surface 4| at which the cutter unit I6 is forced inwardly to position the cutter at maximum depth of cut in the work is indicated at b. In the form of cam 40 shown, the points a and b on cam surface 4| are joined by a straight edge portion of cam flange 40a which is disposed in a plane substantially parallel with the axis of the cam. Hence, when pin 39 reaches point D on cam surface 4|, further movement of the cam 40 to the right or in an anti-clockwise direction will cause pin 39 with cutter unit IE to abruptly move from point b, outwardly or upwardly under the action of the cutter unit spring loading to engage pin 39 with the low point a of the cam surface and thus move cutter C from operative engagement with the work. From the low" point or sector (1 thereof, cam surface 4| generally progressively spirals through a relatively fiat spiral path around the cam, to the high" point or sector 1) thereof. Cam 4!) is designed to provide the annular cam surface thereof for a complete spindle feeding cycle in one (1) revolution of the cam for the milling out of an integral member such as a blade V of the turbine wheel W.

The cam surface 4| of cam 49 for controlling automatically in a single cycle the spindle feed during the milling out of one of the blades V of the specific example hereof, is formed so that the high sector 19 thereof provides a dwell of the required number of degrees of the cycle to permit the milling cutter C under the action of the power operated master unit M to make one or more passes around the blade which has been milled out with the inward feed of cutter C arrested at the maximum depth of the blade. The sector of the cam surface 4| at such dwel1" is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axes of the cam and the cutter unit feeding or actuating pin 3% so that movement of this dwel1" sector b of the cam surface in engagement with pin 39 will not result in inward feeding movement of cutter C. Similarly, a dwell of the required number of degrees for delaying initiation of feed of cutter C at the start of a blade milling cycle, may be provided of the required number of degrees through a sector on cam surface 4| beginning at the low point 11 thereof. The sector of cam surface 4| providing such dwell has the plane of the surface thereof perpendicular to the axes of the cam 40 and the spindle unit actuating pin 39. In this manner, the milling cutter C may be permitted to make one or more passes around the path of the profile of the blade to be milled out in order to provide a sufficient time interval within which the repositioning of a blank B may be effected by the indexing mechanism I prior to the commencement of the progressive feeding into the blank of the milling cutter C for the milling out of the next blade from the blank. If desired or found expedient, cam surface 4| may be provided with a dwell or dwells or other departures from the normal progressive spiral path of the cam surface 4|, at any desired point or points thereon between low point a and high point I), in order to control the functioning of the cutter unit It to meet any particular conditions arising from integral member profile shaping, material, and such like factors which may be encountered in the milling out of integral members from a blank.

By the removable mounting provided for the feed cam 40, such a cam may be readily replaced by a cam of different characteristics for controlling the cutter spindle unit l8, so that, a wide range of cams may be made available for interchangeable mounting in the apparatus in order that the apparatus may be operated to mill out a wide variety of integral member units.

As will be explained hereinafter, the automatic cutter spindle feed mechanism controls automatically the functioning of the-indexingmechanism Ito reposition a blank B thereonlfor the milling out of the next blade upon the completionv of the milling out of a proceeding blade of the series of blades. Such control of the. indexing mechanism is effected through the. medium of a' micro switch 50 mounted on the outer siderof the cutter head supporting link structure l5, adjacent the cutter'head I4 thereof. Switch 50 has the-actuating pin 50a thereof for opening and closing the circuit controlling contacts of the switch, positioned extending upwardly in vertically disposed position from the upper side of the. switch. A lever 5! is pivotally mounted at 5M, intermediate its ends on a vertical post 5ib on structure l5, with the arm 5l'c of this lever extending over the upper end of cutter spindle unit IGI for engagement by that unit in the maximum raised position thereof, and with" the opposite arm Bid thereof being extended over the outer end of switch actuating pin 50a for downward orinward rocking to operate such pin. Micro switch 50,

referring now to Fig. 1'7, includes the fixed contact 52 and the movable contact 53 for opening and closing a circuit connectedtherewith. Movable contact 53 may be spring loaded and is normally maintained in. circuit opening position out of engagement with contact 52. The movable contact 53 is actuated to circuit closing engagement with contact 52 by inward movement of the actuating pin 50a. Upon release of the inward acting pressures on pin 50a, movable contact 53 will return to circuit opening position disengaged from contact 52. When cutter unit actuating pin 39 moves from the high point I) to engage with the low point a on cam surface 4|, thecutter unit l6 moves outwardly into engagement with arm 51-0 of lever 5| and rocks arm Bid thereof to force the switch actuating pin 50a inwardly to position engaging contact 53 with the contact 52 to close a circuit through such contacts. As cutter spindle unit 16 is fed inwardly by the cam surface 41 from the low.

point 0. thereof in the cam cycle, cutter spindle unit I5 is forced inwardly from engagement with arm 5lc of lever 5| and into positions spaced inwardly from and releasing such arm for swinging under the action of switch actuating pin a.

.Under such conditions the spring loading of switch contact 53 is'released for functioning to disengage contact 53 from contact 52 to thus open. the circuit through such contacts. 7 Automatic work indexing mechanism The work indexing mechanism I for holding a blank B and for successively automatically indexing the blank fromone blade milling position to the next blade milling position relativeto the cutter spindle Ilia and'a milling cutter C thereof is mounted and positioned on the work table l2 below the cutter spindle unit 16-. Such mechanism I includes a case 60 providing base flanges 60a by which the case with its mounted and contained mechanism may be secured in position on the work table [2 of the apparatus.

Referring to Figs. '1 to 10 inclusive, an arbor 6! is mounted and journaled in vertically dis-' posed position in and extending through the upper wall of case 60 in asuitable bearing bushing lila. Arbor 6| extends inwardly from the case upper wall a distance through the interior of the case 60. The outer end of arbor 6| is positioned at the outer side of the upper wall of case 60 and is provided with a disc or table 62 formed integral therewith. An axial bore 62a is formed throughthe. disc. 62. and extends a distanceaxially. into thearborlil .to provide asocket for receiving and mounting a work securing,fixture 62b therein by which a blank Bto. be milled may be secured in position thereon. for step-byon and independently of the arbor. The disc 63 maybe journaled on andbetweenspacedannular anti-friction bearings 63a confined and mounted between friction plate'63b at the underside of the top wall of the. case and an index unit assembly keyed to the arbor 6| below the disc 63. Disc 63, referring to Fig. '7, is provided with: the radially disposed index arm 65- extending fromone side of the periphery of the disc, and a radially disposed-actuating arm 66; extendingrfrom the opposite peripheral side of the disc in diametrical alignment withgthe index arm 55.

The index unit 64 includes a. disc llmounted on a hub forming" ratchet wheel: 61- having conventional ratchet teeth 61a therearound. Ratchet G1 is mounted on the arbor 6| with the toothed portion thereof extending upwardly above disc 7 IT with the ratchet teeth 6-1athereon positioned result in rotation of the arbor and of' the disc 11 of the index unit 64'. The index unit 64 is yieldingly maintained in positionon. the arbor 61 by an expansion spring 64amounted on the inner end of the arbor interposed and maintained under compression betweenf nuts. 64b threaded onto theend of the arbor and the. adjacent inner side of: disc 11. of the. index unit.

A pawl 68 is-pivotally mounted on a block 68a depending from the underside of disc 63 in position for engaging the teeth of thera-tchet 6:I for effecting step by step rotation of arbor B l in one direction. "Pawl 68' is continuously biasedby a spring member 686' (see Fig. 7 mounted on depending member 68a. In this example, disc 63 is rotated step by step to. the right or in a clockwisedirection to rotate ratchet GT and disc 1'! of the index unit 64 which are keyed to arbor El in the same direction, that is clockwise, to

thus rotate'the arbor step by step in a clockwise Y direction. I i

Inthis instance, the number .of ratchet teeth 6-1-22 may be considered as equal to the number of blades V making up the series of blades of the completed turbine wheel W, in that, it is intended that the indexing of the blank B from one blade milling position. to the next through the complete cycle, shall be effected by engagement of successive teeth of the complete series of teeth 61a by the feeding strokes of pawl 68 through one complete revolution of ratchet B]. Fig. 15 of the drawingsis to be taken asa diagrammatic disclosure of the arrangement of ratchet teeth 510/ on ratchet '67, without: regard or limitation to the specific number of I teeth shown.

medium of a. yielding resilient coupling unit 'Ha connected: at its rear-end. to the. armature. H and at its forward endjpivotallycoupled to, the

outer end of actuating arm 6 6/ by ap iyot mem- 19 her llb. A contractile spring 12 is connected between the forward side of actuating arm 55 and the forward wall of case 80 by means of an adjustable connection 12a mounted in the wall and extending outwardly therethrough to provide a readily accessible adjusting head 12?) by which the tension spring 12 may be adjusted by the operator. The solenoid 1G is normally de-energized and the spring 12 acts to retract or return disc 53 and solenoid armature H to normal inactive position after the rotation of the disc through a ratchet feeding stroke by energization of the solenoid 18. When the controlling circuit through solenoid is closed and the solenoid is energized, its armature Ii is drawn rearwardly to rock or rotate disc 53 and move the pawl 68 to engage a tooth of the ratchet 61 and thus rotate or index the arbor 6| to move a work piece such as a blank B to its next position relative to cutter C. Actuation of disc 63 by energization of solenoid 10 places spring 12 under tension, so that, upon completion of the index stroke of armature H and de-energization of the solenoid Hi, the spring 12 will rotate the disc 63 and retract the pawl 68 to position for engaging the next tooth of ratchet 61 on the next indexing stroke of'solenoid 10.

The normal inactive or retracted position of the index arm 65 which determines and sets the retracted position of pawl 58 relative to the next tooth of ratchet 61 to be engaged thereby, is fixed by a variable position cam stop 73 located at the rear side of index arm 65,'that is, the side toward which the arm moves in retracting, as will be clear by reference to Fig. '7. This cam stop 13 is mounted on the inner end of a shaft 7311 which is mounted for rotation in and extending through a boss '13?) on the inner side of the adjacent wall of case '60. Shaft 13a extends outwardly'to the exterior of case 60 where it is provided with an adjusting nut 130 for rotating shaft 13a to adjust the position of cam stop 13. This cam stop 73' provides a peripheral stop'surface which is eccentric to the axis of shaft 13a. Hence, by rotating the shaft 13a portions of the peripheral stop surface of cam stop 13 that are at different radial distances from the axis of the shaft, can be positioned in line witharm 65 for engagement therewith to thus selectivelyvary the retracted position of the arm.

At the forward side of arm 65, a stop rod 14 is mounted extending inwardly of the forward wall of case as in line with index arm 55 for engagement by the forward edge of that arm. This stop rod 14 is mounted in the case wall for movement longitudinally to adjusted positions relative to the index arm 65 so as to permit of varying the extent of the active or indexing stroke of arm 55 upon rotation of disc 63 by the indexing stroke of armature H of solenoid 70. Stop rod 14 determines the degree of clockwise rotation of arbor 6| by limiting the indexing stroke of pawl 68, and hence determines and fixes the degree of rotation of a blank B mounted on the arbor and the position to which such blank is indexed relative to cutter C. Such indexed position must be accurate and must be maintained without deviation during the cycle of milling a blade from the blank.

In the example hereof, the circular disc or plate Tl is keyed for rotation with arbor BI and provides the indexing plate of the indexing unit 64. This indexing plate H is formed with a series of arbor positioning indexing recesses or notches 76 formed in and completely around the peripheral edge portion of the plate. The indexing note-hes 16 are adapted to successively seat and engage therein an indexing plunger or pawl 15 as the indexing plate 1'! is rotated step by step by the ratchet 61 to successively move a turbine wheel blank B mounted on arbor BI to blade milling positions relative to cutter C. The indexing pawl 75 seats in each indexing notch 16 and releasably engages and holds the indexing plate 11 in the indexing position defined by such notch, during the blade milling out operation until completion of that operation and the next partial rotation of the indexing plate Tl by the ratchet 67 to move the plate to position with the indexing pawl releasably engaged in the next indexing notch 16.

The indexing plunger or pawl 15 may be formed by an arm pivotally mounted on a boss Ila on the inner side of the forward wall of case 58 with such arm extending at the forward side of the peripheral edge of disc T! in which the series of indexing notches 16 are formed therearound. A roller 17b is mounted on the inner side of the end of pawl forming arm 15 for rolling engagement with the notched peripheral edge of disc 11. An expansion spring He is positioned between a spring tension adjusting member 'l'ld mounted in the forward wall of case 60 and the outside of the inner end of pawl 15, for continuously biasing the pawl toward index plate 7'! to maintain roller 11b in constant rolling engagement with the notched peripheral portion of the plate. Member r lid is accessible at the exterior of the case 55 for adjustment to vary the tension of spring 710.

In the foregoing manner, the indexing plunger 15 seats and engages the roller llb thereof under the biasing action of spring H0, in an indexing notch 16 to releasably hold and maintain arbor Si in a blade milling position against the forces exerted on arbor 6| by a blank B thereon during a blade milling operation by the milling cutter C. Upon the completion of the milling out of the blade, arbor BI is then rotated through a partial revolution by ratchet 6'! which causes the indexing plunger I5 to be forced out of seated engagement in the indexing notch 15 for the completed blade operation and to snap into seated engagement in the next indexing notch 16 to thus accurately position the indexing plate H for the milling out of the next turbineblade V on the blank B on arbor 6|. Such step by step rotation through partial revolutions of the arbor 6! continues through one complete revolution of the arbor and the indexing plate l? with each partial revolution positioning an indexing notch 75 of indexing plate 7! for releasable, indexing plate holding engagement therein of the indexing roller 17b of plunger 15 tothussucccssively index a blank B on arbor 6| through the blade milling positions thereof for a complete turbine wheel milling cycle of one (1) revolution of indexing plate 71.

The indexing plate l! is provided at its outer or upper side with an annular, upstanding flange 73 therearound, concentric with arbor El, but spaced inwardly from the outer peripheral edge of the plate. A trip pin if? is mounted in fixed position in fiange I8 and projects a distance radially outwardly from the outer peripheral side surface of the flange. This trip pin 79 is mounted in a definite position relative to that indexing notch 18 of plate l! which is engaged by roller 71b of indexing plunger 15 when the indexing plateis in its starting position following the com-- pletion of the milling. out of the last blade V of the: series of blades of a turbine wheel. W. In Fig, 15, suchv starting position indexing notch 16 is shown with the roller 11b engaged therein, the trip pin 19, being spaced a. predetermined number of. degrees around flange 18 from starting index notch 16 in an anti-clockwise direction relative to the clockwise direction of rotation of disc 11 and flange 18. v

A micro switch 88 is mounted within case 68 adjacent the forward wall thereof and includes the usual switch actuating pin 88a for actuating the switch contacts. Actuating pin 89a extends outwardly to the exterior of switch 88 at the inner side thereof, as will be clear by reference to Fig. '7. Micro switch 80, referring now to Fig. 17 of the drawings, includes the fixed contacts 8| and 82 and the movable contact 83. Fixed contacts 8| and 82 are spaced apart and adapted to be selectively alternately engaged by the movable contact 83. In this instance, micro switch 88 may be considered to be of the snap type in that movable contact 83 when moved into engagement with either contact 8| or 82 will be yieldingly held in an engaged position until forced therefrom into the alternate engaged position.

A spring arm 88b is fixed at one end thereof on the inner side of switch 89 and extends inwardly therefrom across and engaged with the outer end of switch actuating pin 88a to a position with its outer end adjacent flange 18 of disc 11. A roller 890 is rotatably mounted on the outer end of arm 88b and is maintained in constant. rolling engagement with the outer side peripheral surface of the flange 18 by the spring characteristics ofarm 8% which function in a manner to yieldingly maintain the roller in engagement with the flange. With roller 850 in normal engagement with the peripheral surface of flange 1-8, arm 80b is sprung outwardly and maintained in position. releasing pin 880 for outward movement thereof to position with contacts 83 and 82v engaged. However, upon engagement of roller 880 by the trip pin 19, arm 80?) is momentarily forced to swingv outwardly'from the peripheral surface of the flange and to thereby apply to pin 88a inwardly acting forces of a magnitude to snap movable contact 83 from engagement with fixed contact 82- to open a circuit therethrough, and into engagement with the fixed contact 8| to close a circuit through engaged con tacts E3 and 8!.

Switch 89 is provided with a manually operable reset plunger 85 slidably mounted in and extending through the forward. wall of case 68 in position for operative, engagement with a reset pin 8801 located at the forward side of the switch within the case, as shown by Fig. '7. The outer endof reset. plunger 85 is provided with a knob 8511 at the exterior of the case and an expansion spring 85c is interposed between such knob and the adjacent wall of the case to maintain the plunger 85 in outwardly biasedv position relative 'to switch pin 88d. Thus, when actuating pin 88a is forced inwardly to engage contact 83 with contact 8 l, reset pin 88d is forced outwardly into position for engagement by inward. movement of plunger 85 to reset the switch by forcing movable contact 83 from engagement with contact 8| and intoengagement with, contact 82.

At one side of case 60, a signal light assembly 86 isv provided which is included and connected in a. circuit controlled from the operating circuits of the apparatus; in such a manner as to be lighted by the. closing of its circuit upon the completion of. the. turbine wheeli milling cycle, as will beexplained hereinafter; Such signal light 8.6" is. shown: in Figs, I, 3 and '7. in particular, while the circuit: therefor is shown in the circuit diagram of Fig. 17.1.

A maincontrol switch 81 is mounted. in a wall of case 69 at the opposite side of the case from reset plunger 85 of micro switch 80, and is connected in and controls the power supply circuit for motors MM and FM, solenoid 10, and the signal light 86, as will be explained in connection with the control circuits of the circuit diagram of Fig. 17.

Control circuits.

A diagram of the controlcircuits for the apparatus of the example, is shown in Fig. 17. Such circuits include a power supply circuit comprised of the conductors or lines 88 and 9| which are connectedto' a suitable source of power, say for example; a source of 110' volt, alternating current. Power supply line 90 is connected to movable contact 8'3 of micro switch 89 while supply line 9| is connected to the terminal 81a of. the main control switch 81'. Contact 8| of micro switch 8 8 isconnected by aline 92" to one terminal of the signallamp assembly 86 and the other terminal of suchflamp assembly is connected by line 93 to line 98 and through switch 81 to supply line 9|. Lhus, a circuit through the lamp assembly is completed from supply line 90 back to supply line 9| with main switch 81 closed and contacts 8| and 8-3 of micro-switch 80 in engaged "circuit closing position. One terminal of solenoid unit 18 is connected with the supply line Why the line 94 and micro switch 59 with its contacts 52 and 53" connected in the line 94. The other terminal of solenoid unit 19 is connectedwith the other supply line 9| by the lines'93 and 98 and the switch 81 inline 93 Thus, an energizing circuit through solenoid 10 is completed with main switch 81 closed and contacts 52 and 53 of microswitch 50- in engaged, closed position.

Fixed contact 82 of micro switch 80" provides a common line 95' to one side of the motors FM and MM. From line 95a, branch line 9'5 leads to and is connected throuug-h motor back to line- 93', while anotherbranch line 96 leads from the line 95 through motor MM and back to line 93 through the line- 91.

The circuits are completed back to the other supply line 91 through main control switch 81 by' line 98' which connects line 93 with the terminal 81b of the main switch 81.

With main switch 81 closed and with contacts 82 and 83 of micro switch 80 engaged, the circuits through the motors FM and MM are closed for operation of such motors. A circuit through solenoid unit 10 may then be closed and opened by engaging and disengaging contacts 52 and53 of micro switch 50. A circuit through the signal 86' may be closed by engaging contacts 8| and 83' of micro switch 80 whch necessitates disengaging contacts 82 and 83 to thereby simultaneously open the circuits through motors FM and MM; and through solenoid unit 10 so that such motors and solenoid unit are rendered inactive.

The circuit forming conductors or lines as above described maybe contained in suitable flexible conduits extending from a distribution point I00 (see Fig. 3). A conduit |8'| may extend from point N10 up. to. micro switch .50 on the cutter head supporting linkage I5, with branches Nile and Hill) therefromfor carrying the circuitcon- 23 ductors to the solenoid 10, micro switch 80, light assembly 86, and main switch 8! mounted on the case 60 of indexing mechanism I. A conduit I02 may lead to and contain the lines for supplying current to motor FM, while a conduit I03 and necessary branches thereof may contain and carry the lines to motor MM.

Operation In order to condition for operation an apparatus of the example herein illustrated and described, the main switch 81 is first moved to a position closing contacts 81a and 81?) thereof to thereby close the control circuits of the apparatus for operation. The micro switch 80 will then be in position with contact 83 disengaged from contact 82 and the circuits open to master motor MM, spindle feed motor FM and the solenoid ll) of the indexing mechanism I, switch 8?] having been actuated to such position automatically L upon the completion of the preceding turbine wheel milling cycle of operations of the apparatus.

The spindle unit 16 will have moved automatically upon the completion of the preceding operating cycle to position with cutter spindle [6a and cutter C thereon elevated or removed outwardly from blank engaging and cutting position. This position was efiected at the end of the cycle of operation of the feed cam 40 by the pin 39 of spindle unit [6 moving the high point b of cam surface 4| to the low point a thereof, accompanied simultaneously by the opening of the circuits to motors FM and M to stop operation thereof with spindle I6 remaining in this position for the start of the next cycle of operations. And in assuming this position, lever will have released pin 50a to permit the movable contact 53 to move from engagement with contact 52 of micro switch 50.

The work supporting arbor BI is in position with the roller 11b of pawl 15 engaged in recess 16 of the index disc 11, so that this disc and the arbor are in starting position. A blank B is then mounted in fixed position on arbor Si by means of the blank holding fixture 6227. After the blank B is positioned on the arbor, the operator then forces reset plunger 85 inwardly which resets micro switch 80 to operating position with the contact 83 disengaged from contact 8| and engaged with contact 82 to close the circuits through and to thereby start operation of master motor MM and feed motor FM, as well as to close the circuit through the indexing mechanism solenoid 10.

Operation of motor MM drives the power operated master mechanism M to move tracer style S of the pantograph mechanism around and guided in the endless master track G to thereby actuate the pantograph P to cause movements of the cutter head M with spindle unit 16 and the milling cutter C thereof in accurately reduced scale through a path precisely following and defining the contour of a turbine blade V to be milled out from the blank B. Simultaneously, with the start of operation of the power driven master mechanism M, motor FM starts the drive of feed cam 49 through its feeding cycle. If the low point a of cam surface it is formed to provide a sector having a degree of dwell in the direction of cam rotation, then the milling cutter C may make one or more passes around the path of blade contour before being fed into cutting engagement with that portion of blank B which is located by the indexing mechanism at the cutting station.

When the feeding section of cam surface 4| is reached, then cutter unit 16 and the cutter C thereon are progressively fed into the blank as the cutter C is moved by the pantograph P through and around the blade profile or contour. Such feeding of the cutter spindle and its milling cutter C continues until the blade V being milled out has attained the desired depth at which point feed cam 40 will have completed its cycle of one revolution and the high point or sector 1) thereof will have been rotated into engagement with pin 39 of the spindle unit I5. Preferably, as referred to hereinbefore, the high point b of cam surface 4! is formed to provide a dwell of the required number of degrees to permit of the cutter spindle and cutter C being moved through one or more passes with inward feed arrested, prior to pin 39 reaching the end point of sector a and then moving automatically outward into engagement with the low point a which forms the starting point for the next milling cycle.

The rate of speed of operation of master motor MM is selectively manually controllable by the rheostat 22, and such control is independent of control of the rate of speed of operation of the feed motor FM by the manual control of rheostat for the latter motor. Hence, the number of complete trips tracer style S makes around the endless master track G and the re suiting number of passes the milling cutter C makes around the blade being milled out on blank E. depends upon the relative speeds for which motors MM and FM are adjusted and The number of passes required of the iling cutter C in order to mill out a complete blade will of course vary and be dependent upon the depth of out which the milling cutter is caused to make under the control of the feed cam 9 for each pass which the cutter makes around the blade. The rate of speed of revolution of feed cam 40 relative to the rate of speed of operation of the power driven master M, is such that when feed cam 40 approaches the completion of one revolution and the cutter unit feed pin 39 has reached high point or sector I) on cam surface 4!, the milling cutter C will have made a suiiicient number of milling passes around the blade being milled to have cut or milled out the blade to the maximum depth required.

Continued rotation of feed cam 68 to complete one revolution will move the low point or sector a on cam surface 4| opposite pin 39, whereupon under the action of the spring loading of cutter spindle unit It, such unit with pin 39 will move instantly outwardly to position with pin 39 engaged with the low point a and the unit !6 moved bodily outwardly to remove or lift cutter C from cutting engagement with blank B. Thus, a blade V will have been completely automatically milled out by the milling cycle controlled by the single revolution of feed cam 40.

As cutter spindle unit [6 moves outwardly to non-cutting position of cutter C, it engages the actuating lever 5| of micro switch 50, so that, simultaneously with the outward movement of unit [5 for engagement of pin 33 with cam low point a, movable contact 53 of switch 55 is moved into engagement with contact 52 and the solenoid unit 53 of the indexing mechanism I is energized to actuate the armature 11 thereof of an indexing stroke. Armature "H actuates pawl 58 to engage a tooth of ratchet 61 of the indexing unit 64 and arbor 6| is rotated thereby through a partial revolution, the extent ofwhich is determined by the stop rod 14, to rotate blank B in a clock-wise direction to position the blank relative to cutter C for milling out the next blade V of the series of blades of the turbine wheel W. During this indexing step, the feed cam at is being continuously driven, and, dependent upon the extent of any dwell provided by the low point or sector a of cam surface 4|, will have partially revolved until pin 39 of spindle unit It is engaged with and has started upon the spindle feeding or inward camming portion of surface ll to initiate feeding movement. The initiation and progressive inward feeding of spindle unit It as it starts upon the next cycle of blademilling operations, forces unit IS inwardly and releases switch actuating lever 5| so that movable contact 53 of the switch snaps to position disengaged from contact 32, thereby opening the circuit through and de-energizing solenoid it. Spring '52 of the indexing mechanism then returns or retracts disc 63 and the indexing arm 65 thereof to position to engage upon the next indexing stroke the next tooth of the teeth B'la of the ratchet wheel 61.

The apparatus then repeats automatically the foregoing operations to mill out from the blank B the next blade V. Such automatic blade milling operations are continued blade by blade, with the feed cam Ml automatically going through and completing its cutter feeding functions with the power driven master mechanism M continuously operating at the selected rate of speed so as to cause the cutter C to make the requisite number of cutting passes for each feeding cycle of the feed cam.

Upon the completion of the last blade V of the series of blades, of the turbine wheel W, the indexing mechanism I will have indexed the blank B step by step for milling out the blades V, blade by blade, until the disc 11 of the indexing unit 64 has completed one revolution, at which time trip pin 19 will engage and revolve past roller 800 of actuating arm 80b of the micro switch 80, and will force said arm momentarily inwardly to engage switch actuating pin 80a to move contact 83 of the switch out of engagement with contact 82 to break or open the circuits through master motor MM, feed motor FM, and the solenoid unit It, so that the master and feed motors are stopped and the operations of the pantograph and of the feed cam are arrested. As trip pin 19 moves from engagement with roller 800, the detent roller Tlb of positioning pawl I5 drops into the recess N5 of disc 11 to position and hold the indexing mechanism in completed cycle position ready for the start of the milling operations for the next blade B mounted on the arbor 6| of the indexing mechanism I.

Upon actuation of micro switch 80 by the arm 8022 at the completion of the wheel milling cycle, movable contact 83 of switch 80 is not only moved from engagement with contact Bl to open the circuits to the motors MM and PM but is also moved into engagement with the contact 82 to thus close the circuit through the light assembly 86 to cause illumination of the signal light of that assembly and thus provide a visible signal to the operator that the turbine wheel has been completed. The completed wheel may then be removed from arbor 6| of indexing mechanism I and another blank B mounted in position on the arbor for the milling out of the blades V there- I from in accordance with the operations as hereinbefore explained.

The turbine wheel W used as an example of blade milling operations which can be automatically. performed in accordance with the method and by an apparatus of our invention, happens to be of the type in which they blades V thereof are formed aroundone side of the wheel W ad.- jacent the wheel periphery. However, our invention is not restricted to the milling out of such side blades but contemplates and includes operations to mill out blades of a turbine wheel of the type in which the blades are formed from and on the periphery disposed generally radially of the wheel. Such types of turbine wheels are familiar and well known in the turbine wheel art. In milling out such peripheral types of blades from a blank, the wheel blank instead of being mounted on indexing mechanism I with its axis aligned with the axis of arbor BI and disposed. parallel with the axis of the cutter spindle 16a, is mounted on the indexing mechanism in a position 180 degrees from the mounted position of blank B of the present example, and with the axis of the blank perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cutter spindle i811. In such mounting, the blank is rotated step by step by the indexingmechanism through a vertical plane to successively position the peripheral portion thereof relative to a cutter C on the cutter spindle for the milling out blade by blade of the series of blades around the periphery of the blank.

It will also be evident that. various other embodiments, mechanical expressions, constructions, combinations, and subcombinations than those exemplified by the illustrated and described examples hereof, may be resorted to without departing from the broad spirit and scope of our invention, and hence, we do not desire or intend to limit our invention to the exact and specific disclosures hereof, except as may be required for specific intended limitation thereto in any of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In combination, power operated means for indexing a work piece thereon step by step to successively position portions of the work piece at a cutting station; a cutter spindle mounted for lateral movements over the cutting station of said indexing means and beingadapted to mount a cutting tool, said cutter spindle being also mounted for axial movements thereof toward and from the cutting station between a non-cutting position with a cutting tool relative to a work piece to a position fed into the work piece to the maximum depth of cut therein; power driven spindle feeding mechanism connected with said cutter spindle for feeding said spindle during lateral movements thereof from non-cutting position to position with a cutting tool at the maximum depth of cut in the work piece; means for returning said spindle from its position of maximum depth of cut to its non-cutting position; and means actuated automatically by movement of the cutter spindle to its non-cutting position for causing operation of said indexing means to index the work piece to position the next portion thereof at the cutting station.

2. In combination, electrically operated means for indexing step by step a work piece mounted thereon to successively position portions of the work piece at a cutting station; an electrical control circuit for said indexing means; a cutter spindle mounted for lateral movements over the cutting station. adapted to mount a cutting tool, saidcutter spindle being also mounted for axial 

